


futures

by orphan_account



Category: Naruto
Genre: 3 year timeskip, D slur, F/F, Female Bonding, Healing, Internalized Homophobia, M/M, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Past Child Abuse, Sakura Haruno is jacked, Slow Burn, Trauma, Useless Lesbians, sai stans HATE her, sakuino stans HATE her
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-05-23
Updated: 2019-08-26
Packaged: 2020-03-10 00:40:52
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 19,057
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18927793
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: Sakura runs into Karin post-war.Orphaned because quite frankly, I don't know what to do with this story. Also, I don't really like it. Thanks for reading though.





	1. a different age

Sakura knows that her and Sasuke had arrived to their destination far too early.

“Are we safe waiting out here?” She asks, one map in her hand and a pair of binoculars in the other.

“Don’t worry about it.” Sasuke scoffs before squaring his shoulders. “Orochimaru is expecting us.” He reassures as a large hawk lands on his left.

“When will we receive the signal?” She comments while watching him carefully unwrap the rolled-up paper attached to his messengers leg.

A light smirk and blush emerge from the visible part of his right cheek. Out of pure curiosity, she manages to catch a glimpse of the signature at the bottom of the page and a familiar clan symbol attached to it,

“From, the next hokage candidate, Uzumaki Naruto!”

The cherry-blossom chuckles, “Hello? Earth to Sasuke?” and waves her hand in front of his face. The Uchiha grunts at the realization that he’s being watched. “Pay attention to your surroundings. We’re on a mission.” He scoffs, opting to throw the note into his weapons pouch rather than destroying it. _Really?_ Her nose snaps up with a scoff, gripping tighter on her kunai while taking a larger than average breath.

“I could say the same to you.”

 

_It wasn’t even my decision to travel with him, anyways._

 

\---

 

[Two days earlier, in the Hokage’s office.]

 

“Sakura, I’m glad you could join me today,” Kakashi laughs, shuffling the papers on his desk together as she bows before him. “I have an important mission for you. Lift your head.”

She does, and notices that despite Kakashi being in his late 30’s, he hasn’t aged a bit.

 

He deadpans, “The village trusts you as a medic and a warrior. I’m sure you’re aware of that.” and lifts an eyebrow. “Are you catching my drift?”

“Yes sir,” she pulls a strand of hair behind her headband, “I’m ready for anything you throw at me, Lord Sixth.” she chants- back straightened, ready to salute.

“Please, please,” Kakashi throws his hands up, “Avoid the honorifics. I’m just Kakashi. Anyways, about your mission.” and he clasps his palms together, resting his elbows on his desk. “I’d like for you to assist Sasuke on route to Orochimaru’s residence. You will escort him there and back to Konoha hospital where we will run a few tests of our own. Is this understood?” He proposes in a nonchalant, yet commanding manner.

This was her mission. Escorting Sasuke. To Orochimaru.

Talk about a slap in the face.

This mission boiled down to Sasuke’s trust in her more than anything else. Sakura is well-aware that he is on a leash, but she highly doubts he’d accept having anyone outside of Team Seven keeping tabs on him.

Even so, _fuck Orochimaru._ Nothing that serpent could ever provide for Konoha will ever make up for his past endeavors. Her fists clench, _Fuck you too, Kakashi. I can’t believe you’d even ask me to-_

“Yes sir.” She bows, accepting a sealed scroll from the Sixth Hokage, “I assure you that Sasuke will be safe under my hand.”

 

\---

 

She throws a food pill in her mouth at Sasuke’s previously rude commentary. A loud “pop” audibally emerges from the horizon. “That’s the signal.” Sasuke states before advancing forward. When she follows, she can feel the grass slicing against her legs, every step being taken with precaution. After all, Orochimaru’s territory is unknown to her. She needs to be careful.

...And the lab ended up being exactly as dark and creepy that she expected it to be. The pyrex tanks seem to be clean, but the unknown beings consuming the space in between the glasses have slowly become more concerning. Should she be disgusted or impressed?

“Sakura? Is that you?”

She snaps back at the voice, trying to register who and where it came from. After inspecting the room, there seem to be no recognisable features- but out of her survivalist instinct, she arms herself with a kunai and settles into her fighting stance. “Who’s there?”

“C’mon, I know I’m not THAT old yet.” It chuckles from a dark hallway on the intersection behind her. Sakura turns behind her and there it is: a woman resting her left hand on her hip. “Hey, it’s just me.”

Sakura tightens the grip on her kunai before registering the woman’s long, layered, bright red hair nearly illuminating the room as she approaches her.

“Uh, did you already forget about about that day... or something? I don’t think it’s been that long...” The redhead wraps her left hand around her opposite arm, and Sakura swears the girl’s smirk was slowly fading into a frown. “Take your time... I got all night.”

The figure seems to be...embarrassed?

She has bright red hair.

She’s obviously employed to Orochi-

Oh.

Ohhhhhhhhhh.

OHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH.

“Karin!?” Sakura exclaims, dropping her weapon.

“Yes!” Karin’s face lights up before advancing forward to grab Sakura’s hand, pushing up her glasses in her free hand. “Oh, would Sasuke mind if i showed you around? This place has a lot of cool stuff!” An arm wraps around Sakura’s shoulders as soon as the redhead’s grip breaks from her wrist. “You’re a scientist too, right?”

Wow. Karin’s mood completely flipped.

“Y-yeah…” Sakura stutters, “But do you think anyone would mind if I looked around? After all, I dont’ exactly-”

“Course not. I _am_ who keeps this place running on top of Suigetsu and Jugo… who are less than helpful.” Karin brags while fixing her glasses, guiding Sakura into the hallway. “Wanna have some fun?

 

Sakura is genuinely surprised Karin even showed the slightest bit of vulnerability in the first place, despite barely knowing her. She actually envied this lack of vulnerability about the redhead, the fact that she was just _such a kick-ass woman that doesn’t take shit._ Sakura, on the other hand… cried in front of her teammates, relied on them to carry her for years, and took the grunt of their personal burdens, allowing her empathy to override her self-worth more than enough times to count.

“Where even _is_ Sasuke?” Sakura asks, noticing that her companion is completely out of sight.

“Hah! Him?” Karin scoffs, waving her free hand away. “He already knows his way around here. Let’s not worry about it.”

The strawberry blonde looks up at Karin, or more specifically, the glint in her glasses from the reflection of an overhead light fixture. “...You knew I was coming?”

When Karin turns to her, Sakura notices the redhead's long eyelashes behind her red frames. “Well, I knew Sasuke was coming.” The choppy-haired girl loosens her grip on Sakura’s wrist. “I wasn’t expecting you, but now that you’re here, why not show you around?”

 _"...Why are you being so nice to me?"_ Sakura almost blurts out.

Turns out, Orochimaru’s laboratory isn’t exactly the same as the horror stories she had grown up with. She had been to one of his hideouts after the Tenchi Bridge mission, but their search for Sasuke had restricted them to his residence. She had never seen so many experiments being conducted by one person: the complete opposite of her medical research TEAM back in Konoha. It was actually quite impressive that his only experimental help in the past had been Kabuto, even given the ladder’s extensive medical ninjutsu experience.

Every experimental tank contains an object or being of every shape, size, and orientation. She examines each one, discussing each individual procedure with her tour guide. The two keep this up until Sakura notices a child with white, unruly hair being held in a glass tank, floating in a fetal position with test tubes going through every part of his body. Before she even realizes it, her fingers graze over the pyrex.

“He’s just a baby…”

“...Yeah, but he’s doing well.” The redhead intervenes. “He’s a Mitsuki prototype. He doesn’t feel pain, despite his appearance.”

The pink-haired woman doesn’t seem to be completely comfortable in this discovery, but she _is_ relieved. “Is he alive?”

“Pfft, no.” Karin scoffs, “He hasn’t been born yet, see?” Her finger points to the top of the tank, completely void of oxygen bubbles. The water inside remains stagnant, completely void of life, sending a wave of relief through Sakura’s body. “I see,” The pink girl replies, her blatantly sad confusion slowly turning into a curious glare as her right hand rests on her chin. “So, Mitsuki is a synthetic human, and this tank would best resemble a human womb that provides sustenance and room for them to grow?”

“Precisely!” Clean fingernails snap into guns in Sakura’s direction. “You’re pretty sharp. I wouldn’t expect any less from my heroine, Sakura!”

 

Oh.

She was trying to forget about that.

That was the day Sasuke tried to kill both of them. _That’s what she meant by “that day”._ Unfortunately, she’s here with him. She’s here with him and she’s having her first conversation with Karin since then.  And here Karin is being more than kind, taking Sakura on a tour through her residence and workplace, proudly explaining her work, all while the man they both had previously fawned over is in another room. After working against each other, here she is. _Here she is, being a decent human, an amazing host, and… herself. Completely unapologetic of her quirks, passions, and work._

 

How could her and Sasuke be so blind to this _actual angel_ right in front of them?

After years of working with him, she caught onto his sexuality quickly. He had no interest in women, choosing to stick to Naruto instead. However, that didn’t excuse the fact that he tried to kill Karin, screw Sakura in that scenario, he had already discarded her by then. But to attempt to kill Karin Uzumaki? It baffled Sakura. She had never thought about this before, she only saw Karin as another woman swayed by his pretty looks and the pressure of heteronormativity. After this last hour and a half, she’s sure that Karin didn’t deserve the trauma of _him._ Sasuke is very important to her, but _damn._

_Karin can do so much better._

 

They’re back in the lobby in three hours.

Three hours alone with Karin discussing their research, sharing their procedures with each other, and generally getting to know each other better.

“How was it? Am I a good host, or what?” Karin nudges at Sakura, “I like to think of myself as one, at least.”

“You were amazing!” The strawberry-blonde exclaims, eyes gleaming. “I can’t even imagine waking up to my work. Thank you for the tour!”

A smirk, as well as a hot-red blush emerges from the corner of Karin’s cheek. Upon eye contact it stops, and Karin opts to push her glasses up and scoff instead,

“You’re… welcome.”

The pink-haired girl reaches for Karin’s hand. ”Seriously, thank you. I don’t know what I would have done here without you.”

“Y-you pink idiot. I just wanted to pay you back. Don’t need to thank me for it.”


	2. i still fear the razor guarding my heel

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Karin continues catering to Sakura all while coming to terms with herself, her trauma, and newfound feelings.

“Y-you pink idiot. I just wanted to pay you back. Don’t need to thank me for it.”

Karin can feel her ears on fire, and a warm burn in her chest. Her reunion with Sakura went _way better_ than he had expected or even prepared for, what did her stupid brain have to even be nervous about? It was _just Sakura._ No, it wasn’t _just Sakura,_ more like the woman who _saved her life._ And here she was, at Karin’s doorstep. What an idiot, all she had to do was show the pink lady some hospitality but here she was, bragging about her work? She should have offered her a meal or at least asked if there were any wounds to tend to, not immediately take her on a damn tour. It was just the first thing that came to mind, a short-circuit last minute decision.

 

“Ah, what a long day!” Sakura relaxes on a lobby bench. “That trip from Konoha is a nightmare. I’m not looking forward to the commute back.”

Turntables and a glint appear in Karin’s eyes. _Damnit, this is your chance,_ her right index finger pushes against the bridge of her glasses in an effort to compose herself. “We, uh… should have a spare room.”

“Karin! Are… are you sure? I don’t want to intrude.”

 _You pink idiot, let me have this will you?!_ “Sasuke’s stamina reuptake IV is generally a five hour process. It’s only been three, and the sun’s gone down.” _But wait, maybe she doesn’t want to stay. Karin, you red idiot. That’s you, now. The red idiot._ Her composure begins to break, hunching over with one hand resting on her neck, opting to break eye contact. “But anyways, uh, It’s up to you! Hah, I’m sure this place isn’t your style.”

“I can’t say you’re wrong…” Sakura chuckles, “I’m used to my apartment back home.”

_Of course it isn’t. Nobody NORMAL would want to stay with Mr. Mad Reptile Scientist, Shark-boy, The Emotionally Unstable Giant, and… the red idiot._

“However, I wouldn’t mind staying the night. Thank you, Karin!” She accepts the offer with a light and genuine smile. _See, Karin? Of course she doesn’t want to stay, you’re stupid for trying this hard, why would anyo-_

_Wait._

_She… doesn’t mind? She doesn’t mind… thank you…?_

_She doesn’t mind!_

Karin relaxes her shoulders and straightens her posture. _Thank YOU, Sakura_. “You’re welcome! Uh, are you hungry?”

 

\---

 

“Thank you for the food!” Sakura clasps her hands before bowing at the table. “It looks amazing. How did you do this?”

Karin feels a bit more relaxed now, especially at the sight of a happy Sakura excitedly grabbing at a skewer of dango in the center of the table. Hell, she might as well reach for one herself. “It’s just an old savory dango recipe I picked up back in the Village Hidden in the Grass.”

The other woman quickly scarfs down an entire skewer, _did she even eat before coming here?_ “Did somebody teach you how to cook?”

 

_“We don’t serve outsiders.”_

_“Get the hell out of here, Uzumaki scum.”_

_“Demon child.”_

_“Nothing personal kid, but it’s bad business practice to have you scaring off my regulars. I’ll give you my recipe on the condition that you never step foot inside my store again.”_

 

“...Something like that. I’m mostly self-taught, though.” She shrugs, putting up her emotional wall yet again for nobody to see. She highly doubts Sakura wants to hear a sob story over dinner. _C’mon, Karin! Change the subject, ask her about herself. Stop feeling so small. It’s in the past, they can’t talk to you like that anymore. They can’t hurt you anymore. They can’t hurt you-_

“Karin, are you alright?” Sakura sets down the second skewer. Eyebrows slowly knit together on both sides of the table.

“It’s nothing.” Fists clench on her end of the table while palms relax in the lap on the opposite side.

“I’m not going to pry. Just know that you can talk to me if you ever need to.” The relaxed hands reach for the remains of her dango skewer. “Take a deep breath.”

Karin obeys.

“Keep going,” Sakura guides her, “Now exhale.”

The redhead does exactly as instructed while counting down from ten before taking another breath.

“Good girl, you’re doing great.”

She’d be lying if she said Sakura wasn’t helping in this situation. Her voice was as smooth as glass as she chanted to reassure the redhead and simply being there to help was enough to send a wave of relief through Karin’s body. Sakura is completely void of pity or patronization, she’s just trying to help. Karin tries to think of the last time someone had treated her like this, coming up completely empty of similar scenarios.

 

_You saved me yet again, Sakura._

 

\---

 

The two walk through the hallways of her residence side by side until they approach a door.

“I know this isn’t your apartment, but it’s a bed.” Karin jabs her key into the door lock, “I suppose I could grab you some spare clothes and blankets, but if you need anything else just let me know.”

When she tries to turn the key, it jams. Karin attempts to pull it out of the door after three more tries, hoping maybe she had grabbed the wrong key instead of the lock being broken. “Damn door, move it!” The sole of her shoe meets the door as she desperately yanks at the key, alternating between an attempt to turn it open and pulling it back out. “Come on, work!”

_Snap_

The fob of her key mocks her from between her fingers, no longer connected to the door or the rest of the key.

“Fuck. That was my only guest key!”

“That’s okay, Karin. I can take a couch if you have one, or even the tatami. You’ve helped me enough today.”

“No, it’s not okay!” Her hands frustratedly grab at the layers in her hair. “You came all the way over here and I promised you a bed.”

“Well…” Sakura works through her hair to untie her headband. “I don’t mind sharing, if that’s cool with you.”

The grip in her hair relaxes and makes its way back to her sides. “...Hah? You really wouldn’t mind that?”

“Of course not. I trust you, after all.”

“...You do?”

“Yeah, why wouldn’t I?”

 

That was a shocker, but does Karin mind the idea of sharing a bed with Sakura? No. If it had been Suigetsu, Jugo, or Sasuke she would have told them to kick dirt and figure it out themselves, but Sakura was… nice to have around. And obviously, she trusts Sakura as well. How could anybody not? She’s kind, empathetic, and does all these nice things without expecting anything in return.

“Back at you. I mean- alright. I don’t really mind, either.” She turns her back in the direction of the hall she resides in. “Follow me, it’s just the next hallway over.”

There it goes, again. Her face feels like it’s on fire and her heart starts beating out of her chest. She’s totally high from the kindness, validation, and reassurance Sakura has shown her all day, all while being a nervous wreck about it at the same time. How come it’s like this now?

It’s not like she ever felt like that before, either. Yeah, Sasuke was a thing for a while, but feeling this way with a woman was unheard of in her world. Being with Sakura felt… raw and intimate, like Karin had see-through skin and Sakura was observing her insides through that window.

 

They arrive at her unlocked (thank goodness) door. “You can make yourself at home. Sorry for the mess.”

Karin’s room was pretty personalized compared to the Suigetsu and Jugo, both who find comfort in minimalism. Her sheets were bright red with white pillow cases, and she had invested in a desk and dresser to store her clothes and other personal items. The desk was attached to a small vanity mirror. She even had a painting of her clan symbol to decorate the wall.

“You have a nice room,” Sakura takes a look around before dressing down to her undergarments. Karin mirrors her. No big deal, they’re both women after all.

“Thanks, I like to pride myself in that.” She throws on a tank top to glance over at Sakura and her jaw _drops._ Yeah, she’s familiar with a woman’s body, but it wasn’t the hypersexualized parts of a woman’s body that caught Karin’s eye this time- more like anywhere BUT that.

Sakura is JACKED from head to toe, covered in lean muscle. She had a SIX PACK, for crying out loud. Jeez, how long has she been at this for?

“Damn, Sakura. What the hell is your workout routine?” Karin chuckles, turning to the mirror to check out her own body in comparison. Tight waist. Toned arms and legs. Lean.

No abs, though. She’s literally pinching at her belly.

“I was trained by the fifth hokage. She was huge on bulking up. I didn’t want to, but I’m glad I did.” Sakura laughs, throwing on a large white t-shirt. “Your body is nice too, Karin. You shouldn’t change it unless you want to.”

She doesn’t. It’s just that.. Sakura’s body is nice to look at. REALLY nice to look at.

“That teacher of yours is a hardass.” She replies, making her way to over to her bed. “A medic AND a tank? You’re insane!”

Sakura joins her, taking the right side of the bed as Karin takes the left. The two roll over to face each other, the rights resident folding her arm under her pillow and the lefts curling into a fetal position. The right smiles, “I’m very lucky to have Tsunade. I owe her my life.”

The two make small talk for about thirty minutes, the topics ranging from simple interests such as music and art to their work and dedication to science. Sakura babbles on about her hospital horror stories, most of them being pretty silly (A man cut his finger off while slicing cabbage. Who does that?). Karin discusses the synthetic human theory and the mechanics of her latest endeavors with Orochimaru and his newfound sanity.

 

“Hey,” The strawberry blonde on the right proposes through a yawn. “What are your plans for the future?”

The left rests her index on her chin, because quite frankly she hasn’t thought of this. She doesn’t hate it here, but she is passionate about her work here. This was her home, anyways.

“I guess I’ll stay here with Orochimaru and Suigetsu. We’re making a huge breakthrough with the Mitsuki experiment. I’d like to watch it grow up, I guess.”

“I see…” Sakura’s eyes start to flutter shut. “I wanna help kids, too...”

“...With what?"

“Orphans…” The right begins to drift to sleep, taking deeper, heavier breaths as each second passes. “Wanna… help them.”

 

Well, she’s asleep now. Karin guesses she could do the same, but it’s kind of depressing that this conversation ended at the good part.

She wants to help orphans, huh? It makes sense given the backstories she’s heard tidbits of from Naruto and Sasuke.

 

She falls asleep facing Sakura, refusing to take off her glasses.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> yes, i changed the name of my fic. it felt corny.
> 
> aaaaand there was only one bed! let me know what you think! thanks for reading.


	3. red is the warmest color

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Domestic violence mention CW for this chapter. Rating will be changed.  
> That being said, if you ever feel like you're in danger call 1-800-799-7233. You are worthy of respect and entitled to your safety, whether you are the victim or a bystander. Make a plan and leave as soon as possible.
> 
> also, please don't bitch at me for this. abuse mentions are personally cathartic to me. 
> 
> let me know what you think! thanks for reading this far :-)
> 
> edit: fuck me i can’t proofread

Another day, another nightmare in Konoha Hospital.

The day had started slow, giving Sakura more time than usual to get into the groove of her job. She had assumed her shift wouldn’t be too overwhelming today since most of her patients had been shinobi returning from missions in need of minor injury treatment and an antibiotics prescription. An older woman broke her hip after slipping in the shower, thank goodness her husband was around to find her. Her coworker accidentally cut through his glove while sterilizing a scalpel. The usual, really: people and co-workers being clumsy or claiming injury at work, many injuries being more minor than major.

The office stayed slow until lunchtime. She remembers it so vividly: she had just opened her lunchbox, ready to dig into the dried ume plums she had packed this morning. As soon as she takes her first bite, a stretcher barges through the door with the assistance of four nurses, rolling them through the hallway with a blood trail following. Sakura jumps up at the sight, ditching her lunch to throw her hair up and help, nearly tumbling over an unseen younger boy who falls backwards onto the floor. “Hey,” she holds her hand out to help him. “You okay? Where’s your mom?”

The little boy ignores her, jumps back on his feet, and darts down the hall. She wants to reprimand him for running through the halls of a hospital, but she doesn’t have any time.

Power-walking through the hospital isn’t the best idea, either- especially when the floor is covered in fresh, bloody footprints. She desperately glances inside every doorway she passes in search of it’s source, but every doorway is empty. _where did they go?_

 

“NOOOOOOOOOOOOO!”

 

A high-pitched scream echoes through the hallways. _There you are._ Sandals advance forward, running, advancing through crowds of people and even her higher-ups to find the source of the scream, until she sees it- the little boy from earlier being carried out of the room, thrashing around and screaming, “Mommy! WAKE UP!”, her subordinate struggling to keep him under control. She peeks into the room where she finds the remaining three nurses inside the room with the body on the stretcher: a woman. Blood. Blood _everywhere, spilled all over the stretcher and floor._ One large slash stretches across her jugular.  

“Time of death is eleven thirty-two PM. Cause of death is a stab wound to her neck. Possibly murder.” The first nurse comments to the second, gripping a clipboard and pen. The third nurse, however… is hunched over the trash can, dry-heaving their guts out.

The child is still crying, progressively becoming more faint as the fourth nurse drags him away.

“What… happened?”  She approaches the sick nurse who she recognizes as Jin- an intern from her department. “Doctor- I” Jin chokes. Sakura grabs a handful of paper towels from the counter and kneels down to wipe her co-worker’s face. “Can you tell me what happened, please?”

“She… I just saw her...” Jin makes out through sobs and a sore throat, “Neighbors found her after…” she sniffs, wiping her eyes with her left sleeve. “They heard a scream, and her ex husband ran outside covered in...” Jin crumbles, voice cracking and breaking through a new wave of sobs. “I just saw her, Sakura. I brought her a home-cooked breakfast before work. I just saw her...” She crumbles, blood-covered hands staining the floor from the overflow of tears falling down over them. “Why would he do this to my poor aunt? I can’t take care of my cousin. I’m so busy, how is he gonna eat? My parents are- fuck, where will he stay, oh _god_ where’s he gonna go?”

“Jin,” She places a hand on Jin’s shoulder. “Go home. This is far too much for you to cope with. Don’t come in tomorrow, either. I’ll find someone to cover for you.”

As serious as this situation was, this isn’t the first time a child had been orphaned. It’s just never happened in front of her, _especially_ not via domestic violence. She’s never seen something so small so desperately grasping for his caretaker, _his mother,_ in complete denial of what was right in front of him.

Why hasn’t anyone done something about this?

He’s going to live alone if he lacks extended family, just the same as Naruto and Sasuke. She knows this, but can’t do anything about it, and that alone is enough to punch her in the gut.

 

And now here she is, downtown on main street telling it all to her glass as the sun sets. Her shift had only ended two hours ago which left her enough time to run home, change into her street clothes, and find a little dinner just to go back home and cry about it. That plan quickly took a detour after walking past a new hole-in-the-wall bar after visiting the dango shop.

Really, it wasn’t like her to hang out at bars. She was quite prideful of her lack of alcohol dependency in comparison to Tsunade- who she vividly remembers being drunk in her own office at times. Even so, it was quite fortunate that her tolerance was so low because one zucchini sake cocktail costed her _one thousand yen._ At least it was strong enough to have her a bit tipsy only halfway through. Totally worth the buck.

 

“Suigetsu, I swear-- If you black out in public _again,_ I refuse to carry you to the hotel!” A familiar voice grunts through the front entrance curtains. Sakura turns around in her booth to find _her,_ time stops as soon as she catches a glimpse of those red frames and raspberry strands of hair.

“Come on, one drink and I’ll go! We spent ALL DAY traveling just do deliver a measly scroll. Live a little!” The white haired companion shrugs her off, rolling his eyes to the back of his head. “Ugh, you always do this! You don‘t-” as soon as he turns around, he immediately squints at their pink observer, making an effort to recognize her. “Sakura… is it?”

Red frames snap back at the sight, her previous grimace lifting into a large grin. “Sakura!” Karin jumps over to wrap her arms around Sakura’s neck from behind. “I missed you! I’ve been looking for you all night, you would not believe the day I’ve had!”

“I missed you too, Karin! Uh, sit! Please...” Her right hand pats the booth next to her as an invitation. _You wouldn’t believe mine, either._

“Anything you want!” Karin excitedly makes her way into the booth, noticing the drink in front of Sakura. “I didn’t know you drink. What is that?”

“Oh, I don’t…” Sakura shrugs, cheeks flushed pink as the alcohol was starting to kick in. “Zucchini sake. Try it.”

Karin grabs the drink and takes a small sip. Both eyebrows raise as she swallows, quickly making a sour face. “It’s so strong.”

Suigetsu’s head peeks out from around Karin, back turned to him. “Can I try?”

“No. Her drink.” Karin shields the cup while sliding it back over to Sakura, flagging down the bartender as the latter receives her own glass. “Waiter, one zucchini sake please.”

Pale hands slam against the table from the opposite end of the two women. “Really?! You were just shaming me for wanting a drink two minutes ago!”

“Yeah, because you only order cheap beer pitchers.” The redhead deadpans, turning away from him. “You don’t even know when to stop drinking, either. You’re sloppy.”

“That was one time and I- nevermind, Karin. You’re hopeless,” he shrugs in reply, standing up to leave the bar. “I’m going to the gyoza stand because I know you won’t follow me there, _picky_.”

The two watch as he  leaves the building. “Well,” Karin belly-laughs, throwing one hand behind her head as Suigetsu is nowhere to be seen. “Looks like it’s just the two of us, huh?”

“Looks like it…”  Sakura tries to conjure a smile, one cheek resting on her hand.

Her red companion rests her elbows on the bar counter in an effort to make herself comfortable “I’m here on business with the Hokage and Orochimaru. I couldn’t find you all day, though. Another busy shift, I suppose?”

Sakura is all too quick to break eye contact, completely aware that this kind of behavior is unlike her. _How could I be so rude? Karin is here to visit and it’s not her fault that you had a bad day, billboard brow._

Karin ducks to meet green eyes as her drink is set down next to her from the man over the counter. “Hey… You okay?”

No reply.

“I’ve never seen you like this… is something going on?”

_Sigh, here we go._

“I had a really long day,” The cherry-blossom groans, “Really long. Bad. Bad, long, horrible day.” throwing her head back as she cries.

“You can talk about it if you want to,” The other suggests. “I got all night, remember?”

A light chuckle emerges from Sakura’s throat, “Again? Haven’t you done enough for me, Karin?” she replies while watching Karin sip her cocktail, a bit more prepared for its kick than last time. The redhead smirks as she swallows. “No, I haven’t. I won’t pry, buuuut…”

“Yeah, yeah. I get it.” The woman chuckles at her memory of saying the exact same thing to Karin. “Alright… Since you asked, I had an afternoon shift at the hospital today. Are you ready?”

 

She repeats her story back to Karin without skipping a detail, especially none about her connection to the incident. The redhead listens intently, her right hand making its way over to hold Sakura’s somewhere in between her telling- each finger slowly intertwining into one another, gripping tighter as soon as Sakura’s composure started to slip. Every squeeze sent Sakura back to reality, helping her hold back her tears long enough to at least finish the nightmare shift story and what will become of it as her temporary therapist slowly finishes her drink.

“So, the little boy…” Karin replies before turning her glass upside down. “He’s orphaned now, am I correct?”

 _Her eyelashes are so freaking long Sakura can't believe it_. _Red is such a warm color._

“Yeah, you could say so.” She throws her last sip back to mimic Karin. “It’s not my department to figure that out, though. I have no clue where he is...”

“Maybe, but I wouldn’t know anything about that.” Her redhead companion smiles, “You wanted to help them right? The orphans, I mean.” and she stands up from her booth.

“Wanna continue this outside?”

“Yeah, coming.” Sakura leaves her share of the bill along with a tip on the table before standing up to leave alongside Karin.

 

She shows Karin around town her humble town, carefully explaining each monument, landmark, and obscure area associated with any memory of hers associated with the redhead’s goofball cousin. It’s obvious that Karin is having a good time but Sakura can’t help but notice a slight flinch when anybody unknown to her guest accidentally collides with her shoulder, and the way she relies on Sakura to speak to the locals, opting to not speak unless spoken to.

 _Maybe she’s just not used to this kind of thing,_ she assumes. Nonetheless, she’s trying to help Karin feel welcome. Her hand had eventually found its way back to Karin’s ten minutes in, squeezing tighter as soon as she suspects Karin was clamming up or freezing- who relaxed her own hand in return.

 

Sakura owes her this, after all. This is the perfect opportunity to make Karin feel as comfortable around her town as she had with Orochimaru’s hideout out of all places. After all, It’s not every day that she falls asleep in another woman’s bed after meeting her for the first time in three years. _Especially_ not every day she wakes up with said woman laid up against her chest.

_That was a first._

It was cute, actually. Way too cute to be comfortable with the entire thing happening. Yeah, it made her uncomfortable- but not in the sense that Sakura feared for her safety. She was more uncomfortable with the way she felt about it.

The thing is, Karin is a heavy sleeper. She snores and drools, she’s a bed hog, and had even made her way over to Sakura and clung on for dear life through an entire nightmare, waking her up a multitude of times during the night. Each time, Sakura would simply pat her head and slowly rock her back to sleep.

Anyone else would probably lose their mind after doing this all night, but surprisingly, Karin was just… more than tolerable to deal with in this state. Sakura simply didn’t mind being there, despite said disturbances. She suffers from her fair share of insomnia due to her demanding job so the tantrums were understandable, especially given that she didn’t know anything about her old friend aside from being Orochimaru’s subordinate- enough to give _anyone_ nightmares.

It felt wrong to hold another girl like this.

Still, she unapologetically took it in, brushing her fingers through red, Uzumaki hair, wrapping her arm around the small of Karin’s waist as the latter’s shirt rode up to expose soft, pale skin. After all these years of knowing Karin, she had no idea that the redhead could be like… this. Soft. Vulnerable. Submissive. _Cute._

_Shake it off, Sakura. That was one night. It probably means nothing to her, anyways._

 

The two find their way to a bench near the lake coast. Sakura makes her way over to sit down, followed by Karin.

“The sky is really clear tonight,” her guest comments, “Is it always like this here?

She wants to keep this empty small-talk up, but she just can’t. Her memories with Karin on top of that kid hearing his own mother’s time of death was _just too much._

Finding a way to help kids avoid the burden of living alone without support such as her teammates did would be great, but she has no clue how to help without straying from her own job or responsibilities as a medic. Adoption is expensive, and being a busy 20 year old wouldn’t work out in favor of a kid’s emotional needs. They need a place to go, whether it be under the supervision of a couple or facility, a place where others can work as both caretakers and therapists.

_Wait._

A light pops up in her head.

 

“Karin?”

“Yeah, Sakura?” Karin pushes up her glasses before facing her host. “What’s up?”

“I think I know what I want to do in the future.”

The redhead smirks before cocking her chin up. “Continue.”

“I’m going to open an orphanage… but hear me out.” Sakura explains. “I want it to double as a mental health facility for children, so I plan to hire a team of specialists to be there and bond with my patients to guide them in the right direction. That’s how I’ll help them.”

A gust of wind blows behind them, sending strands of red and pink across the darkened horizon. The moon illuminates the river in ripples, sending waves of light in their direction as Sakura watches with her on elbow resting on her knees. Karin’s gaze was fixated on the stars looming over the two while relaxing on her hands resting on the bench they had both occupied.

“You could totally pull that off,” The Uzumaki interrupts their quiet solidarity. “It’s a pretty solid plan.”

“You think so?” Sakura giggles. “It was kind of a spur of the moment decision, after all.”

“I know so.”

Sakura’s left hand rests on the bench, inching closer to Karin’s.

“I just…” She argues half-heartedly. “I wanna help. In my own way, of course.”

“Or course,” the redhead advances her own hand forward to Sakura’s. “You can do it!” She giggles, gripping the pink woman’s palms. “Do it! I mean, you’re probably the only one capable of it, of course.”

A huge wave of either ecstasy or adrenaline is sent through Sakura’s chest, _what is this?_ Her legs start shaking. _Is this anxiety?_

This time, Karin takes the lead of their conversation.

“I would have killed for someone like you during my childhood,” Her free hand taps against the wood of their seat. “My village didn’t exactly… do that kind of thing.”

 _This is it, Sakura. Find out as much as you can about her before you never see her again._ “What did they do?”

“Well,” the redhead comments while horribly attempting to keep up her smirk. “For starters, my only purpose was to heal Hidden Grass shinobi. I lived alone after my mom died since nobody wanted to house an outsider, especially an Uzumaki. Then...”

Sakura tilts her head in curiosity. “Then?”

“Then…” Karin throws her gaze back to Sakura’s eyes, meeting them with undivided contact.. “I met Orochimaru, who led me to you in the end.”


	4. life is beautiful

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “I felt really hopeless before you showed up today. Honestly, I don’t know what I would have done without you around. You really turned my mood around, you know?” She coos, every breath lightly fanning Karin’s neck. “I just like having you around, despite what’s going on outside of this.”
> 
>  
> 
> _I feel the same, Sakura._

“For starters, My only purpose in my previous village was to heal Hidden Grass shinobi. I lived alone after my mom died since nobody wanted to house an outsider, especially an Uzumaki.”

What the hell did the Uzumaki clan do to deserve so much infamy? After all, it had birthed two of her favorite people.

“Then.. I met Orochimaru, who led me to you in the end.” Karin interrupts her line of thought, hand intertwining with Sakura’s in the space between them. Red irises meet her gaze, again.  _ How long did it take to notice those? _

“Those villagers were vicious, always telling me to screw off. That’s why I learned to cook and create, instead.”

Jeez, how much alcohol does it take to confess your life story to someone? Sakura isn’t complaining, but this is the first she’s heard of Karin’s life outside of following Orochimaru and Sasuke.

“I already know your cooking is phenomenal,” She chuckles, “But what did you create?”

“Just random stuff. I made bracelets, clothes, ink. Went through a painting phase. The usual.”

So she’s an artist? Interesting.

“That’s not usual, that’s amazing!” The right palm grips tighter on her red companion. ”I’d love to see your portfolio sometime.”

Crickets chirp and moths fly around the lamp illuminating their heads. 

“...Maybe,” Karin breaks her eye contact. “That was a pretty weird time in my life. I thank them for my random hobbies and skills, in a way.”

_ Them.  _

Come to think of it…

During their sleepover, Sakura had noticed a few alarming scars on Karin’s body. She had been making an effort to avoid the subject, but curiosity killed the cat, and her mouth is running faster than she can think. “Did they...hurt you?” 

“They…” Karin grabs at her collar, fanning off her chest. “They never  _ really  _ beat me. Only kept me in line to heal the next patient.” 

“...I understand you have an amazing bloodline limit that you use to heal people with.”  _ Stop talking while you can, billboard-brow. _

“...Yes.” Karin freezes. She notices Sakura tensing up, her own hand opting to fidget around her fingers.  _ Okay, you got this. _ She takes a deep breath before popping the question: “Is that where those dental scars on your legs and arms came from?”

“...You really wanna know?”

_ Of course I do, you red idiot.  _

“Yes… if that’s okay.” Sakura looks down at her feet. “I don’t want to pressure you, though.”

“...Fine.” Karin lays down in the bench, resting her head in Sakura’s lap while guiding Sakura’s hand to her hair. 

Sakura’s fingers comb through the red layers of her head in return.

“Geez, that feels good. Give me a minute.”

_ Comb. _

_ Flip. _

_ Repeat. _

She keeps it up for about two minutes.

“I inherited this jutsu from my mom when the Hidden Grass took us in. We were ordered to heal their army. Then, she died.” Karin shakily confesses. “They put me in a makeshift hospital after that.”

Sakura listens intently, opting to move her hand down from Karin’s scalp to her neck, softly massaging in between the smalls of it.

“I could have run away, but I was scared. I let them do it.” Karin’s hand grips tight onto the hem of Sakura’s skirt as the ladder continues to brush her hair. “It’s my fault they bit me.”

_ No, screw that.  _ “It’s not your fault, Karin. You didn’t deserve to be treated like that.” Sakura makes her way back to her raspberry hair.  _ Nobody does, especially not you.  _

“It makes me angry that they ever did” She replies with a sharp tongue. “You’re too good to be thrown away and treated like trash. If I ever-” 

“I get it, though.” Karin interrupts. “If you were raised like that, wouldn’t you think the same way?”

Sakura pauses at her commentary.

_ Good one. _

_ Maybe  _ she’s projecting a little right now after feeling so helpless earlier. After all, it’s not her past. If Karin has come to terms with it, the only supportive thing to do is listen, not threaten her past abusers.

“I… can’t say you’re wrong.”  _ I was the same way until I got to know Naruto, after all. _

Her fingers move back to Karin’s skull and comb through her hair for a few more seconds.

“Being angry means they win. Can’t have that happen.” Karin chuckles through a yawn. “I don’t like to give them that kind of power.”

“Are you tired?” Sakura rests her hand on Karin’s shoulder.

“Mhm.” Karin replies. “Exhausted. Nap now. Hotel later.”

“Or… you could stay the night at my apartment. It’s only around the corner.” Sakura suggests. “

 

—-

 

Karin’s eyes snap wide open,  _ did she mishear that? Sakura’s apartment. Is she serious? _

“You’re sure about that?” Her torso lifts up from Sakura’s lap. “I-I’d love to, but I’m sure you weren’t expecting me today You don’t have to worry about-”

“Positive.” Her friend wraps her right arm around her waist. “I like having you around.”

_ Thump-Thump. _

“Oh… Okay. Thank you.” 

_ Here that damned feeling goes again. Sakura, I can’t believe you do this to me every time. _

Her companion stands up to extend her left hand. “You coming?”

 

Sakura’s apartment is way nicer than Karin’s housing unit back at Orochimaru’s lair. First of all, she has a matching furniture set for her living room- including a couch, coffee table, bookshelf, and dining room set. For crying out loud, she has her  _ own  _ bathroom, decorated with emerald rags and towels with a matching soap dispenser. Compared to that, Karin’s personal belongings can fit in a bag for the most part, which-

Shit. Her heart drops.

_ My bag is at the hotel. _

“Sakura?”

“Yes?”

“I… I’m a big idiot, I think. Yeah, I’m a big, dumb oaf.” Her palm smacks the top of her own forehead in shame. “Bag. Left my bag. At Hotel. Dumb.”

She completely expects Sakura to roll her eyes and send her back. Instead, the strawberry-blonde smiles softly-  _ too fucking soft.  _ “I have some clothes you could sleep in and a spare toothbrush! Don’t worry about it, I’ll be right back.” and she disappears into her bedroom, leaving Karin alone to brood in her stupidity. 

_ Seriously? How are you so nice? To me, of all people? I still haven’t paid her back for that day, yet here she is. Helping me. Again. _

 

Sakura emerges out of her room holding a large v-neck tee. “I know you probably would prefer a tank top, but I don’t think I own one comfortable enough to sleep in. Is this ok?”

Karin takes it with her head lowered. “I- uh, thank you.”

“Karin. Dear.”

_ Dear…? _

“Lift your head.”

_ Why? _

An index finger settles underneath her chin, lifting it to make eye contact despite Sakura being two inches shorter than her.

“It’s okay to ask for help.”

_...What? _

“You’re wrong!” She blurts, completely void of thought. “I owe you my life, I can’t just have you running around doing favors for me! Sakura, why would you waste your time with me when you have so much on your plate?”

“Karin…” The index finger drops.

“Listen, damnit! You have the hospital, that orphanage-  _ So much  _ is going on for you. Why would you waste your time with...me?” 

Pause.

Silence.

A pair of arms then wrap around Karin, who is breathing erratically and heavily at this point. “Breathe, dear. Just breathe.”

_ Inhale. _

_ Hold it. _

_ Exhale.  _

Sakura rests her head in the space between Karin’s neck and collarbone, nuzzling her nose in. Waves of electricity send through her body, and she feels blood rushing to her head.  _ Wow, that spot is sensitive. _

“I felt really hopeless before you showed up today. Honestly, I don’t know what I would have done without you around. You really turned my mood around, you know?” She coos, every breath lightly fanning Karin’s neck. “I just like having you around, despite what’s going on outside of this.”

_ I feel the same, Sakura. _

Sakura pulls away. “I like you.” She mentions, brushing a hand against the redhead’s cheek.

Affection is still too new, but nothing will stop her from trying, so she reaches for Sakura’s free hand. “I… like it too. Having you around, of course.”

 

\---

 

Bashful Karin was  _ something else. _

As shitty as her day was, at least she had company to make up for it. At least enough to take the perpetually horrified look off Sakura’s face.

She doesn’t want this night to end, but her friend is on a mission. Can’t be too selfish, can we?.

“Let’s get you to bed. You have a long day ahead of you.”

“Oh- almost forgot about that, hah.” Karin chuckles through her blatant lie.  _ C’mon, Karin. You have bags under your eyes, I can see them through your glasses. _ She hands Karin her shirt and spare toothbrush. “My room is down the hall, to the right. Just join me there when you’re ready.”

 

They part ways, Karin headed for the bathroom and Sakura headed for her bedroom. Sakura dresses down into her own sleep clothes and claims the right side of the her bed, tucking her arm under her pillow for support. 

A couple minutes later, the door creaks open with a shadow behind it, making her way into the room. The redhead yawns as she walks around to the left side of the bed. It doesn’t take her long at all to get comfortable, immediately curling into a fetal position. 

“Silly. Are you gonna take your glasses off at all?” Sakura raises an eyebrow at Karin. “You might break them in your sleep.”

“Nah, they’ll be fine… I think.” Karin speaks through a slurred yawn. “Wanna look at you.”

...That was unexpected. “What?”

“Hmmm… nothing. Sorry.” The girl on the left sighs, turning over to face the wall. “Sorry, Sakura.”

...Is that why she kept them on last time?

Ohhhhhhohohoh,  _ Karin.  _ Two can play at this game.  _ You wanna look at me so bad? Too bad. Those glasses are coming off. _

Karin is way too tired to stay awake and talk like last time, anyways. As depressing as this was, Sakura could communicate in another way. Think, Sakura, think…

_ Got it.  _

The strawberry blonde inches over to Karin, enough for the moon illuminating through her curtains to nearly blind her if she had positioned herself differently. Her left arm makes its way around Karin’s waist as she nuzzles her nose in between the small of Karin’s neck. Sakura can feel her freeze at this, hairs jolting up on the back of her neck, and  _ you know, she kinda likes having this kind of power. Huh. _

“Wanna hold you. Can I?”

The redhead takes a deep breath before replying in a raspy and low tone, 

“Please.”

 

In less than a minute, Karin is snoring. Sakura takes the opportunity to remove her glasses and set them on her bedside before returning her arm back around Karin’s waist. 

As she’s drifting to sleep, she imagines how it would be to come home to this every night. Sakura would come home from work (the orphanage, of course.) and find Karin, taking off her mission gear- or better yet, her lab coat. On weekdays, they could prepare dinner from scratch together. Weekends they could go out and rule the town like they did tonight. When one goes on a mission, the other could stay behind and watch the house. They could have a black cat, one with a little white spot on its-

Wow.  _ I’m really thinking this through. _

It just feels so natural with her though, like they were meant to do this together. Like when they see each other, the world disappears around them and they’re simply  _ unstoppable. _

She wants to wake up to her. Hold her. Touch her. Make her feel as good as Sakura does when she’s around. That’s only normal for girls to do, though. It’s not like her and Ino weren’t ever like this, until she heard she was into Sasuke and it broke her-

Oh, shit. 

Did she have a childhood crush on Ino? 

Has she been this way her entire life?

 

Is it okay to have a crush on Karin?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you made it this far, thank you so much! unfortunately, I will not be updating for the next couple of days because I start a new job.  
> that being said, I will update every other day or week at most from now on.  
> hope you enjoyed, let me know what you think.


	5. worlds to run

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “I need to see you, I want to be with you, I want everything that’s you. Please don’t go.”
> 
> “Sakura, It’ll be too late if you wait too long.”

Karin wakes up to the sound of birds chirping and a stream of light shining through white curtains. Her body rolls over to face Sakura, sound asleep next to with one arm still slung over her side.

_Cute._

The streams of sunlight highlight her pink hair and eyelashes, where manicured fingernails make their way through those bright strands laid across the pillow.

_I wish I could wake up to you every day, Sakura._

Both of them are sporting dangerously messy hair. While she knows she looks horrible like this, she’d be lying if she said Sakura looked less than perfect right now. It’s not every day she gets to wake up to such a sight, especially one that made her feel so vulnerable and raw, despite their distance and history. It’s too bad she took her glasses away. She knew this when it had happened, but couldn’t gather the strength to fight it. She just couldn’t, not with the promise of Sakura staying in that position, one that made the hairs on her body stand up straight and lose all sense of thought she could conjure in that tired state.

“Mmm,” A small grunt emerges from the other side of the bed. “ _Karin.”_

_Is she talking in her sleep?_

Still, she replies with the hope that Sakura would wake up. “Yeah, Saku?”

“Mmm.” Emerald eyes slowly blink open to face her.

“Good morning, Sakura.”

Sakura rolls on her back, releasing her hold from the redhead that she had held all night. “Hey.”

Karin sits up to grab her glasses off the bedside table, then plops back down after putting them on her face. She’s still tired, but Sakura’s presence is more than enough to wake her up. It’s been a year since she saw that face, those eyes, _those biceps._ It’s been a year since they spent time together like this. It’s been a year since she felt this...free. Konoha is so different than the Hidden Sound and Hidden Grass. She knew this back when she got arrested by Kakashi four years ago, but this was the first time she got the full experience of the town.

They feed her. They treat her like a person. They don’t want anything from her. She feels welcome.

Sakura is here.

Sakura is here.

Sakura. Here. Her.

Sakura Haruno.

Pretty. Like time with her. Like her. Like...her???

 

The woman on the right yawns, removing her arm from Karin’s waist to stretch.

“That’s a big yawn.” Karin chuckles through a raspy voice.

“Hmm, yeah,” Sakura nods in reply. “I’m still a bit tired, sorry…”

Karin thinks she likes her like this. Thinks? Screw that, she _knows._ After last night, any doubts about her sexuality have been thrown out the window. The hand holding, massages, and _the damn way Sakura buried her head in her neck_ were solid proof of that.

Konoha felt like a home away from home, thanks to her. Sakura made her feel free. Sakura made her feel valid. Sakura made her feel wanted.

She wants to stay here forever. If she did, they could have their own apartment near main street, right between Konoha’s main attractions and the hospital. Karin could come home from a mission- or even better, Konoha’s research lab, waiting for Sakura to walk through the door. They could discuss their days over dinner during weekdays, and jaunt around town on weekends. They could have a tuxedo cat named Onigiri, or possibly even a child.

_...Wow. Stop overthinking this, Karin. Chill out._

“Don’t be.” The redhead shrugs, turning on her back. “It’s… cute.”

Wow. That was bold.

_Too bold. Calm down, stupid red idiot._

...Is it really, though? Sakura has been _really_ touchy-feely, after all. Is that a sign that she felt the same? No way, she was probably into Sasuke, or being courted by another villager. Karin was well aware that Sakura probably only considered her as an acquaintance, anyways.

 

\--

 

Sakura perks up at the compliment, shocked at the redhead’s newfound confidence. She knows  that Karin had been very receptive of her attention, but hearing… _this_ happen out loud was… different. Scary, even. It’s like she had pressed every button until they jammed and now she’s frustratedly slamming them in hopes that they work.

She can’t let Karin see her vulnerable like this, so she opts to throw a sly smirk on her face, instead.

“Not as cute as you.”

Karin’s eyes widen and her cheeks flush red. _That’s more like it._

More like it, or at least that’s how it seems before Karin smirks back with an eyebrow raised. “I disagree, but you’re entitled to your opinion.”

Where the hell did this attitude come from? Who is this woman and where did she put Karin? Is this a sign that she’s becoming more comfortable or something? It’s like all her angst and shyness was thrown out the window overnight.

“Sakura,” Ruby eyes meet with hers as a slight pout emerges from the redhead’s lips. “I’m hungry.”

_...Cute._

Karin pouting? Definitely a sight to see, 10/10 would watch again. _You’re something else, you big red idiot._

Sakura replies with a light smile, “I can cook us up some breakfast before work. Do you like eggs on rice?”

“Love it. You’re amazing, Sakura.”

 

\--

 

A tall, white-haired figure emerges from behind a nearby pillar as Karin approaches the Konoha village gate. “What the hell, man. Where have you been?”

“None of your business.” Karin retorts back with a sneer.

In response, Suigetsu throws a hand up with a defeated sigh. “Well, it kind of is, since I have your bag.” He hangs it over her head, and chuckles a bit as she jumps in a failed attempt to grab it.

“Give it back RIGHT NOW, Suigetsu!”

“Ugh, you could at least thank me, you forgetful oaf.” He rolls his eyes, hanging the bag a bit higher so Karin’s efforts at grabbing it become futile. “Did you have fun sleeping at Sakura’s, by the way? It seemed like you were having a good time.”

“I will skin you alive if you don’t- wait.” She pauses. “What?”

“Yeah, dummy.” He drops the bag at her feet with a loud _thud._ “You thought I didn’t know? It’s a small town, Karin.”

Her eyebrows knit, her mouth drops open, and her throat feels dry. She’s supposed to be an elite tracker shinobi, yet had no idea the two were being followed all night. Did one drink really throw her guard off like that?

“What did you see? Tell me now!”

A scoff comes from the other direction. “What did I NOT see!? You were all over her. Are you like… a thing? Or something? I don’t care, but it seems like you-”

“Shut up!”

“Calm down, will you? It’s okay if you’re gay, bisexual, or whatever.”

An index finger points to his chest. “You don’t know anything about that-”

He pushes the finger away with his palm “I SAID, calm down. I get it.”

Manicured fingers grip at the top of her head. “What do you mean you get it? You aren’t even gay!”

“No, but I’m not straight. I just don’t like the idea of it all- romance, or…” he gags, “sex. So, of course I don’t care what you are, Karin. I only followed you around to make sure you were safe since you’re apparently such a lightweight.”

Well, she can’t argue with that.

“I, uh… thank you.” She pushes her glasses up to the bridge of her nose in an effort to compose herself. At a second glance, she notices the multitude of people that had paused to witness her meltdown. “Sorry, Suigetsu. It’s just… a lot. I… I think you’re right. I don’t know.” Her right hand rubs against the back of her head as she picks up her bookbag with the other. “I might be… le- leeees. Less bieng. Let’s.” The word absolutely refuses to roll off her tongue and she’s beginning to get really frustrated at this point. “Let’s. Be. Let’s be a- UGH. Les-”

“Dude, it’s okay.” Suigetsu chuckles, leading her through the gate. “Take your time.”

“...Her.”

 

\--

 

Typically, walking to work was a task filled with an odd mixture of overwhelming dread and pride for Sakura. However, the commute for today was… bearable. More than bearable, she was completely unbothered. Happy, even. She’s still high from her night with Karin.

Their jaunt around town was a much-needed adventure that ended in a much-needed cuddle sesh. Leaving for work was actually the most dreadful part about it. She wishes Karin could stay. Before she left for the Hidden Sound, they hugged. That’s it. Nothing more, nothing less. She wishes she could have done something more. She’s fiending for it, at this point.

 _You idiot, Billboard-brow_.

What else could she have done, though? She wasn’t even sure of what Karin thought of her, anyways.

The hospital lobby is surprisingly empty aside from a couple of people and a family in the lobby.

“Sakura?”

Cursing, she whips her head back around to find Jin- standing 5 feet tall with a long purple ponytail. What the hell was Jin doing here after yesterday? “I ordered you to take few days off. What are you doing here? Where is your cousin?”

“Easy.” Jin exclaims with more pep in her step than yesterday. “He’s right here."

The same pale child with shorter, lavender hair from yesterday emerges from behind Jin’s legs, gripping tightly onto her scrub.

A flat palm smacks against Sakura’s forehead from second hand embarrassment. “Jin, I can’t believe you brought a child to work.”

“You don’t get it, Sakura. This kid is a prodigy!” Jin exclaims, clasping her hands together. “Look, my family has a healer bloodline limit. I never inherited it, but he did. Let me show you, please?”

“Just how the hell can a kid heal someone?!” Sakura crosses her arms, putting all her weight on her left leg so she can relax the right. “This is unheard of, even for you.”

“Just watch. I promise you, Sakura.” Jin shakes her head before calling her baby cousin. “Yuuto, can you hold Sakura’s hand for me?”

The small, lavender-haired boy emerges back out from behind Jin’s skirt, wobbling over to Sakura. She rolls her eyes in reply. “Jin, this is inappropriate, and I will not-”

 

Before she even realizes it, the world around her goes black. The hospital lobby slowly fades out, and she’s brought back to her room- her bed, specifically.

Karin is laying next to her.

Everything is ruby red, right down to the sunset illuminating her room.

“Sakura…” Karin’s voice echoes from every direction. She tries to look around, but she’s bedlocked. The room is inescapable. Her mouth opens, but no words come out.

“You know,” The voice echoes, again. “I like you a lot.”

“Karin, talk to me. I’m here.” she wants to say, yet her efforts are futile.

“It’s okay to feel this way. I feel it, too. Don’t you want to be happy?” An arm reaches out to grip her palm- inviting, enticing, and full of empathy, before the redhead begins to fade back into the darkness that slowly consumes everything around her.

“It isn’t wrong. I’m waiting on you to realize this. I want you. Don’t you want me?”

Finally, the words come out. She nearly chokes as they stumble out of her mouth- “Karin, don’t go. I need you,” Oh _shit,_ it’s word vomit now. “I need to see you, I want to be with you, I want everything that’s you. Please don’t go.”

“Sakura, It’ll be too late if you wait too long.”

Karin fades away, leaving Sakura alone in the dark.

 

A gasp escapes from her lips as she’s brought back to reality.  “Karin-”

“...His name is Yuuto, not Karin.” Jin deadpans with an eyebrow raised. Sakura snaps her head around the lobby-everything is the same, right down to the way her patients were seated, still immersed in the same conversations as they were before her dream. She notices a small hand wrapped around the tips of her fingertips and breaks her hand away with a jolt.

“Sakura-san,” His tiny voice emerges from underneath her. “Do you love her?”

Jin’s mouth drops open at this with a belly-laugh. “Aha! Ouh la la, Sakura! Who is this Karin woman and what did she do to you?!”

“N-Nothing.” She replies, cheeks flushed pink.

The child retreats back to Jin’s side, looking up to her as he tugs her shirt, jumping up and down. “I saw it again, Jin! I can read minds!”

Sakura pauses at his commentary, re-directing her eye contact back to Jin, who is gleaming. “...And you call him a healer? He’s like a therapist!”

“What did I tell you?” The indigo woman smirks back at Sakura before picking Yuuto up. “Kid’s got talent. I feel like he could be of use here. If only we had a daycare, or an instructor for him until he’s old enough to attend the academy. I’m just afraid he’ll get bored here, that’s all.”

This is perfect. Sakura thinks of all the possibilities that could happen with Jin on her team along with Yuuto to study underneath them. Though she needs more people, this is a start.

 

“Jin,” she whips out her clipboard and pen. “I have a plan and you’re perfect for it. Hear me out.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> okay credits to anyone that recognizes the song titles in my chapters.  
> anyways, thank you SO MUCH for reading this far. i'm really trying to figure out a steady pace to update with but i get a bit too excited sometimes. write or die, man! work has been hectic, so bare with me through my erratic updates. i also apologize for the lack of fluff in this chapter. i like my plot too much sometimes.  
> [follow me on twitter](https://twitter.com/overcastpng)


	6. nobody

Sakura walks through her door to immediately remove her shoes, headband, and lab coat before plopping onto the couch. Honestly, work has become the last thing she had ever hoped to be: dreadful. At a second glance around the room, she notices a neatly folded note on her table; An erratic and unfamiliar calligraphy sprawled across the paper.

 

_Dearest Sakura,_

_Thank you for allowing me to stay the night._

_You’re a great friend. Naruto and Sasuke are super lucky to have you around._

_I’d love to do this again when our schedules align._

_-Karin Uzumaki_

 

A light wave of warmth rushes through her chest as she holds the note to her chest.

_Anytime, Karin._

The sunset illuminates the living room with a ruby hue through open curtains. She is positive she’ll never look at this shade of ruby the same way again. It's bold, bright, comfortable, _home,_ and a cruel reminder of what could be.

It’s her.

She always liked the color red, it was her small clans primary color after all. This was a different kind of appreciation, though.

_“It’s okay to feel this way.”_

_“I feel it, too. Don’t you want to be happy?”_

_“I want you. Don’t you want me?”_

_“Sakura, It’ll be too late if you wait too long.”_

_“Sakura-san, do you love her?”_

Tsk.

She still can’t believe she let that redhead make her feel like… that. Karin called her cute in real life. 

Even though this was an illusion, she told Sakura that she _wanted_ her. The thought alone was enough to shake her to her core- how could she feel like this around that awkward redhead in a fantasy?!

Memories of her uncle’s exile taunt her at the sheer thought of feeling like that.

It’s best to block it out.

 

_Knock knock._

“Coming!”

Her front door creaks open to reveal Ino- ponytail down, sporting in a red tank top over patterned shorts.

_Cha, red? Really?_

It isn’t Ino’s fault that Sakura is suddenly drawn to red, really. It’s just so coincidental that the blonde would opt to wear anything except purple on _this specific day._

The blonde on the other side of the door holds up a bottle of red moscato. “You gonna let me in?”

“What’s the occasion?” Sakura moves out of the doorway, crossing her arms in question. “It’s not like you to show up to my house unannounced with a bottle of alcohol in your hand.”

“I’m here to congratulate you on getting your shit together, billboard-brow.” Ino makes her way into the apartment, fluttering through the kitchen in pursuit of Sakura’s glass cabinet. “Where the hell are your wine glasses?”

“I don’t drink enough to actually own them, Ino-pig. Use a different glass.”

“Ugh, that just takes away from the fun of drinking wine in the first place.” Ino grabs two clear glasses out of the cabinet and brings them over to Sakura’s dining table with the wine bottle in her other hand. “You can plan out a whole career path but you can’t afford wine glasses? Tsk tsk, Sakura.”

Sakura rolls her eyes in reply, taking a seat on the opposite side of the table as Ino. “Pig, I already told you that I don’t drink enough to actually buy them. Why are you being so snarky?”  As close as the two may be, she HATES this part about Ino. The woman always finds a way to make rude comments-intentional and otherwise.

The blonde chuckles as she pours the wine into each glass half-full. “You know me! Now, how about that plan, huh?!”

Sakura grabs her glass of red moscato, _of course that’s red, too. When does it end?_ “How did you even find out about it?”

“Sai heard the news from Jin. Did you know they’re neighbors?” The blonde wraps her hands around her own glass, swinging the liquid around.

“No, I did not.” Ah, _Sai -_ a word that leaves a bad taste in Sakura’s mouth more times than not. “You’ve been hanging out with him a lot, huh?” She grabs her glass and immediately takes a swig. Typically she would cringe at any mention of him around Ino, but she surprisingly wasn’t feeling it today. She has other things (or people) to think about.

“Yeah,” Ino smiles- no, lights up at the reply. “I just like having him around. He’s...nice.”

 

A couple hours pass and the bottle ends up in a trash can, nearly empty. Sakura is pretty sloshed in comparison to Ino, who could probably pass as stone-cold sober.

“Well, I should probably go home. I’m getting pretty tired!” The blonde swings her hair back into a bun before standing up- the ruby red tank top mocking Sakura. “Congrats, billboard-brow.”

“Let me-hic-, let me help you out,” she hiccups, stumbling behind Ino to lead her out the door, but in a split second, she tumbles over a chair. “Sakura, you damn lightweight!” Ino reaches to pull her up by her arm, slinging it over her shoulder. “Geez. I’ll walk you to the couch or something so you don’t hurt yourself.”

Sakura can’t really tell which was is up or which way is down anymore. All she sees and knows is ruby red. “Karin, don’t gooooo.”

“Karin?” Ino raises an eyebrow in concern as she sits Sakura down on the couch. She leans in to ask, “Who the hell is Karin?”

“Red.” Sakura slurs through other incoherent ramblings. “Like red. Like you.”

“Sakura, are you okay - mmm!?”

Before she can even register what’s happening around her or what she’s doing, the pink-haired woman’s palms grab at Ino’s face and pull her in for a sloppy, one-sided kiss. Ino protests, but Sakura can’t stop- won’t stop, until the blonde offendedly pushes Sakura back onto the couch and immediately storms to the door.

“Whe-hic- Where ya goin’?” Sakura protests while grasping for the ruby blur, which is already halfway out the door. “K-K-Ka. Where ya gooooin’, cha? Hmmmmmmmm?”

Ino throws her head over her right shoulder and throws dagger eyes in the other’s direction. “Home, Sakura. I’m not fucking gay.”

The door slams, leaving Sakura alone in her residence. She falls back on the couch, and the spinning walls rock her to sleep.

 

\--

 

The sunset and clouds looming above mock her through strands of endless pink stretching across the sky.

Karin never liked pink, it was a color that always seemed too soft, too light, too… wholesome. Pink is everything Karin is not- the exact opposite of what her life has led- but today, pink was an empowering, invigorating, health-giving glow. It was home.

It was her.

“We’re FINALLY here,” Suigetsu groans through short breath. “No place like home, am I right?”

“...Yeah.”

_Home._

 

The two split off to their separate estates. Today her room feels empty, it _is_ empty. _She_ feels empty.

_I wonder what Sakura’s up to right now._

No lie, it felt really nice to tease Sakura. Seeing such a strong, collected woman like _that,_ frozen up and at a loss for words… did things to Karin. Weird things. Things she couldn’t even explain to just anybody, like a burning desire to wrap her arms around the pink woman’s neck, pull her to the other side of the room so Sakura could be sandwiched in between her and the wall, and just… go to town on her mouth. Or even better, have Sakura do the same, except push, no- _slam_ Karin against the wall and take full control. Oh, and with _those muscles,_ the thought of it was probably enough to keep her up for _days._

_So… I guess I’m gay, huh?_

She wonders what it’s like to kiss a girl, if Sakura has ever kissed anyone, and if she enjoyed it as much as Karin enjoys the sheer thought of kissing her. She’s never done it before, never really thought about it. Well, is there a difference between wondering and actually fantasizing about it? Her life has been too damn hectic to prioritize romance until... now, basically. Even now, her schedule doesn’t exactly allow her to take joyrides to Konoha to see Sakura. How would they even be together if they live so far apart? It was an impossible gamble and on top of the distance, Sakura probably had plenty of callers back in the Hidden Leaf.

_Ugh._

She reaches under her bed for her painting supplies and canvas, pulling out every shade of red and pink paint she has stored in the toolbox. After dumping her respective drops of paint onto a palette, she lets her brush do the talking.

It still doesn’t stop the intrusive thoughts from coming.

_What should I do about this?_

_Should I get over her?_

_How would I even do that?_

_It’s not like there was a surplus of strong, pink, gay doctors walking around the Hidden Sound. Even if there were, they could probably do better than… this red idiot._

She throws some white paint onto her palette after finishing a color-field of reds and pinks stretched and blended horizontally. White specks dabble away at the canvas with a sponge brush, which she violently blends until the paper is wet and thin enough to cut with a fingernail.

After adding a couple forest green branches and highlights of white to accentuate her painting, she finally decides that it’s finished.

It’s the same horizon she traveled here under, a cruel reminder of what could be if only her circumstances were different. Anyone else would probably think this painting was beautiful. Good thing it’s not like the whole world knows about her newfound color association with pink (with the exception of Suigetsu, probably).

She sets the painting face-up on her desk to dry before changing into her tank top and heading to bed.

_Goodnight, Sakura._

_Sweet dreams._

 

\--

 

Sakura jolts up from her couch, gripping at the top of her head.

_What the hell happened last night?_

She remembers blonde hair, red wine, a red shirt… and- oh. Oh.

Oh.

_Oh no. Oh no oh no oh no oh no oh no oh no oh no oh no oh no._

Jolting up from her couch, she runs for the shower where she immediately turns searing hot and undresses to enter. Bar soap isn’t enough to wash away the events that took place last night- she scrubs until her skin is raw but the guilt won’t pass.

_Oh no oh no oh no oh no oh no oh no oh no oh no oh no oh no._

She kissed Ino. She kissed her old childhood crush. She saw red. She didn’t see blonde. How could she be so stupid? Ino is pissed, _oh shit, Ino is pissed. Ino. Is. Pissed._

Calling out of work over personal sounds nice, but paying the bills sounds nicer. At the same time, dying sounds like a better option. Should she just take the risk? Sakura has never called out before, should she just start now?

Still, the same loop plagues her thoughts.

_Ino. Is. Pissed._

Her morning routine is quicker than she had expected (being hungover and guilty) and she opts to skip breakfast after gagging her guts out over a toilet. It was a better option than feeling sick while doing nothing about it- a quick opt-out for her hangover.

That is, until she stumbles out of her own apartment-spotting a wine bottle in her trash can. Not just any wine bottle- a quarter full wine bottle, one with a screw-on cap.

 

Sakura knows better than to dumpster dive. She’s been taught better than this.

 

Fuck it. No better hangover cure than more alcohol, at least that's what she has heard.

 

Turns out, stumbling to work wasn’t a bad feat- it was actually kind of euphoric. _Jin’s house is on the way to the hospital._ _Maybe it won’t hurt to see Yuuto._ _Maybe Ino is with Sai, too._

_Maybe I can apologize._

_Knock Knock._

No answer.

She taps her feet and knocks at Jin’s door again. “Jiiiin! It’s Sakura. Answer the door, pleeease?”

The neighbors’ door opens to reveal _him_ \- the lanky, dark-haired twink Ino somehow fell head over heels for after Sasuke ran away.

“Sai,” she waves to her right with an exaggerated sigh. “Good morning.”

“Good morning to you, you’re exactly who I wanted to talk to.”

 _Cha, leave me alone. Please._ “What is it, maaan?” Eyes roll to the back of her head as she slurs, “I’m commuting to work and there’s this kid I have to check on, so if you don’t mind-”

“I just wanted to know how you feel about the word ‘dyke’?” The _dingbat of a man_ deadpans along with his picture-perfect grin. “Which do you prefer? I’ve read that many people of your orientation have ‘preferences’.”

Immediately, a merciless fist immediately plants into Sai’s right cheek, sending him into a nearby pillar and nearly breaking it in half.

“What the fuck did you say?!” Sakura marches over to grip him by his collar and spit in his face all while sadistically watching him cower and reach for his tool kit. “You wanna call me what?!” She yanks behind his back for his kit, tossing it aside while pulling his collar closer with her other hand. “I’ll give you one more chance. What the hell did you want to call me?!”

“S-Sakura.” he throws his hands up, clearly shaking in fear. _Good_. “Just Sakura”

“Nice answer.” The petite fist throws him back on the ground to stomp at the brushes and scrolls sprawled across the floor until she hears them snap. “Go fuck yourself, Sai.”

“Sakura?” A familiar voice peeps out through cracked open doorway. “What are you doing here?” _Ah, what perfect timing! Cha._

“Get to work, Jin! We’re not getting paid to sit around at home!” She screams with venom on her tongue while sprinting away, refusing to look back on the mess she made. Screw the fact that she made an ass out of herself in front of Sai and Jin at this point, so the handrails suffer instead. “Fucking- Fuck!” One kick and they’re on the ground before she’s made her way downstairs in a flash.

Jin and Sai look at each other, both equally intimidated and amazed that such a small woman could possess such strength.

“...It’s my day off!” Jin scrambles into her apartment for her flak jacket and shoes. “Man, I never get a break!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i'm sorry to all the sai stans and people hoping that some sakukarin action would happen in this chapter, pls yell at me  
> (this chapter is based on real events)  
> sasunaru inclusion in the next chapter idk stay tuned


	7. i drove her out of my mind

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Karin has an interesting dream while Sakura has a really bad day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i'm back. i'm finally back after writing that horrible, horrible mineta crackfic. i think i got cancer from writing it.  
> anyways, this has been sitting in my docs for a while, so please show some love for my sub-tier writing. thanks, queers!

_“Want you. Wanna hold you. Can I?”_

_The flower-scented girl wraps her arms around Karin’s ivory waist, riding her fingertips underneath her tee shirt._

_All she can hear is white noise and the beating of her own heart._

_A light lip brushes against her ear, sending a shiver down the redhead’s spine._

_“I want you. Don’t you want me too?”_

_Karin gasps at a light nibble on the cartilage. The fingertips that previously held her waist make their way inside her shirt slowly make their way up her torso. Her back arches, lips quiver, and she can only whimper in response to Sakura’s advances._

_“I can’t do anything until you say yes, Karin.” Sakura’s lips make their way down to the crick of her neck, planting a small kiss. “Do you want me?”_

_“Ah-” the redhead cries. “Sakura, don’t stop-  please-”_

_She hears a cocky chuckle from behind her._

_“I just have to get the door first.”_

_“...Huh?”_

 

KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK

“You got mail.”

Karin’s eyes snap open at her off-white ceiling.

This wasn’t Sakura’s room. That wasn’t her. If she felt in control over her circumstances, she’d be in the Hidden Leaf.

Come to think of it, why was it Sakura’s room? Was Sakura touching her? Was this real life? 

God, she wanted it to be real life.

KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK.

“Karin?”

_...THAT DAMN SUIGETSU._

She quickly stomps across her room to kick the door open, nearly toppling Suigetsu and the hawk on his shoulder onto the ground. It would have been very easy to pummel him to the ground right now, if only it wasn’t for the hawk- that damn pet of Sasuke’s. Whatever- she’ll get back at both of them for this later. “What the fuck are you doing here? I was having SUCH a nice rest, so make this short.”

“You don’t have to bite my head off.” Suigestu recomposes himself, removing a small scroll from the Hawk’s leg. “Here. It’s from Sasuke.”

“Wow.”She snatches the note from his hand before carefully unrolling it. “Because there are just _so many_ hawk summoners in our circle.”

The shark-toothed man scowls as he crosses his arms. “Okay, obviously you just woke up, but I’m doing you a favor. You owe me, snarky ass.”

“I don’t owe you crap for delivering my mail.” She yaps, because that dream was _way too good to interrupt._

Karin snatches the mail away from Suigetsu before quickly scanning it. As she predicted- it’s a request from Sasuke to assist him and Naruto for a diplomatic meeting with Gaara in the Land of Wind. The two were summoned to meet them at the Hidden Heaf and serve as backup for their journey. She wonders if the Hidden Leaf is low on manpower right now or if Sasuke is simply saving himself from awkward social interactions with the shinobi he betrayed back home. Either way, it’s pathetic and beneath her.

She’s well aware that she doesn’t owe Sasuke shit, either.

“So… what do you think?” Suigetsu shrugs, taking the note back from her hand.

“I think he’s a loser.” 

“...I meant about the note. Come on, Karin.” He rolls his eyes with a long, exaggerated sigh. “I’m bored outta my mind with the Mitsuki prototype. I need _air._ ”

“Shut up.”

Staying at the Hidden Sound would be easy. Everything she needs is right here- her job, her apartment, and her personal belongings. It’s not a safe space, just a practical one.

However…

One would normally define “freedom” as her circumstances right now. Hell, she thought that she had obtained “freedom” long before Heibi/Taka was formed- back when she was given a facility to run and didn’t have to endure those damn bites. 

That being said, Suigetsu is right. Orochimaru has Mitsuki completely under control- In fact, he should be born soon. There are other places to see, enjoy, and live in. Her comfort zone isn’t the only place she should restrict herself to, right? Maybe traveling again could be good for her, at least she isn’t a vigilante this time around. 

Maybe she could make new friends this time around. It would be easy to establish a friendship with her cousin, and maybe…

Maybe she could visit Sakura before leaving. Just maybe.

“Do you need convincing?” Suigetsu sneers. “I can ask Sakura to come along if you need it.”

Karin’s face turns beet-red at his comment. “Asshole! I was already going to go!”

“Haaah! Gotcha.I’ll reply with your answer.” Suigetsu  slides a new note into the Hawk’s leg carrier. “I’m off.”

 

\--

 

“And so…” She shrugs, “I uh, smashed his ninja tools… so I can’t really ask Sai for favors right now.”

This meeting with Tsunade would have been a spur of the moment decision as seen in movie tropes where the protagonist can simply leave their office for an important personal conflict.

In real life, people don’t get the privilege of leisure until they’re laid off, sent home sick… or caught being drunk at work.

They sat at a BBQ booth off main street, waiting for their curried chicken to cook on the table grill. Sakura flips the meat as Tsunade pours shot after shot, _good thing she isn’t the Hokage anymore. Imagine if she left for the office like this._

_...What am I saying? I drank trash wine before work. I have no room to judge, do I?_

“What a shame.” Tsunade pinches the bridge of her nose, swishing around a half-empty bottle of sake with her other hand. “You’re telling me… you made out with Ino, hic- woke up, demolished Sai’s floor, assaulted him, and destroyed his tools?”

“He called me a dyke!” Sakura exclaims, slamming her fist on the table. “Do you expect me to let that slide?!”

_Fag or Dyke?_

_I don’t like either names. Just call me Sakura._

Her cup is half empty- literally, and figuratively. On one hand, she gained a friend. A friend with a soft body, red hair, a bashfully flirty attitude, and happens to live miles away. On the other hand she lost her lifelong comrade and a previous team mate who both happen to live down the street from her apartment. How does one weigh out a bad decision and a good one, especially when her reputation apparently depends on it? 

“I just..” Tsunade chuckles before throwing back another shot. “I wish you got it on camera, that’s all.”

Sakura’s eye twitches as she lays down cutlets of curried pork onto the table grill. “This isn’t funny!”

At least Tsunade had a dark sense of humor, but she wasn’t in the mood for it to be directed at her. It was his fault. Sai could be described as many things, but she never thought _blatantly homophobic_ would be one.

That being said, she’s well aware that she probably deserves this treatment from him. After all, she did kiss his girlfriend.

She didn’t even mean to.

“I just wanna know. Are you gay? Or what?”

_Gay._

The word offends her. She grips her cup tightly.

“I’m not fucking gay.”

“...Oh.” Tsunade glares up at her, swishing her cup around for a few more seconds before pouring another shot. “Are you sure?”

“I don’t know if you’re blacking out or if you just haven’t been listening to a word I was saying.” Sakura raises her voice, leaning into Tsunade from across the table. “Sai called me a SLUR. He’s slandering me. I’m not like that.”

Tsunade locks eyes with Sakura, unbothered and unthreatened with her advances. “You know, I frequent Main Street’s bars.”

Sakura rolls her eyes before witnessing the old lady gulp down her drink in hand. “Yeah, yeah. I’ve known this since I was thirteen. What are you getting at?”

“Are you aware that I notice everything?” She lowers her while calmly setting her shot glass upside-down. “Especially when my student who prides herself in not drinking walks into a shady bar alone, and out with a familiar Hidden Sound shinobi. You know, the one that assisted Sasuke in the murder of Danzo Shimura?”

“You didn’t-” The young woman’s heart stops. “That wasn’t me. I don’t know what you’re talking about!”

“‘Oh, Sakura! I haven’t seen you in _so long_ ’.” Tsunade mimics Karin while holding her right hand to her cheek. “‘Oh, Karin, I hate my job!’ Hmph!” The blonde chuckles, “How are you so observant and careful in your career yet so _ditzy_ in your social surroundings? I taught you better than this.”

“I’m not ditzy-”

Tsunade interrupts, throwing her index finger in Sakura’s face. “Oh, you are. You were very careful around her, catering to her every need. When It boiled down to everyone else, you were completely ignorant. Are you a shinobi or a teenage girl?”

“I didn’t mean to-”

Tsunade ignores Sakura’s protests and slams her fist on the table. “How will you protect her if you don’t pay attention to your surroundings? Did you know that a man was following you two all night? He could have hurt you!”

Oh.

So, Tsunade wasn’t interrogating her over her sexuality, but over being stupid. One drink and she completely left her guard down? This wasn’t fair. She shouldn’t _have_ to be on her toes in her own village, even if she’s capable of self-defense.

“I didn’t know, Tsunade. I’m sorry...”

“I followed him until you two stopped at the lake. It would have been easy for him to ambush you two.” She grips onto her sake bottle, cracking the edge. “You fool!”

She can’t believe a man allegedly followed her and Karin through the city all night.

Karin should have noticed. She’s a sensory shinobi, after all.

No… Karin isn’t the one to blame. It was Sakura’s fault. This was her town, after all. Shouldn’t she know it like the back of her hand? It was _her job_ to guilde Karin around and recognize the faces around her. If _her redhead_ had been hurt, it would have been Sakura’s responsibility.

 _Her redhead_ \- NO. Her _friend._

Karin isn’t an object, and definitely not a possibility.

_Shove it to the back of your head, billboard-brow._

“It seems that he was watching out for her as well, but my point stands.” Tsunade grunts. “I don’t know and don’t care about his identity. I care about you. You’re a daughter to me and I want to see you thrive.”

“She holds no threat to my future plans.” Sakura argues. “What are you getting at, Tsunade?”

“Do you really want to waste your time and life on an outsider with a criminal record?!” Tsunade blurts.

“Don’t call her an outsider.” Sakura glances up at her teacher, ignoring the burning pork on her grill. “I thought she paid her dues to you after the Fourth Great War?”

“Uzumaki Karin is on probation for the next two years. If she violates her sentence, she will spend that time in prison. Her sentence is lighter than Sasuke’s after assisting him in the murder of Shimura Danzo while having no previous connection to our village aside from the Chunin Exams. I’m sure you’re aware of this.”

“That’s not fair.” Sakura argues, “Sasuke tried to kill her, she paid her debt.”

“In the eyes of the great elders, it’s a fair policy. Sakura, do you want to keep your job?”

“My work has nothing to do with Karin.” Sakura protests. “You have no right to place judgement on her! You barely know her!”

The meat is basically charcoal at this point. She doesn’t care. She needs to get out of here. “Thank you for the meal, Tsunade.”

“Hey! Where do you think you’re going!”

_Away from you._

 

It feels like everyone is staring at her while she walks to her apartment, so she power walks until nobody is in sight. Thank goodness her apartment was right around the corner, she’s never been so happy to see it before. She’s _almost there, just a few more steps until she can sulk in peace._

“Sakura. Let’s talk.”

She turns around to find Sasuke right behind her. “Where did you come from?”

“I’ve been waiting for you. I have a proposal. Would you like to hear me out?”

  


Sasuke quickly leaves Sakura to her front door. She turns the key to open it, immediately ditching her wallet, coat, and shoes. 

She had just accepted a summon to assist Team Seven, Suigetsu, and Karin. Unfortunately, Karin’s name stands out for more negative reasons today. Not for personal reasons, but today has been… a lot. Last night was a lot. Being called a _Fag_ and a _Dyke_ did bad things to her.

“You can avoid this.” Sakura chants to herself in pursuit of her bathroom. Nothing like a good shower to scrub the filth of her existence off. “Just talk yourself out of _her._ You’re not gay, Sakura. See? It’s easy.”

She dresses and packs her bag quickly before cooking her last meal until.. Well, who knows when? Time isn’t running against her, she has plenty of it. Keeping her hands busy was just a coping mechanism for the time being. 

Would everybody treat her like Sai had earlier? Was Tsunade right? Is she gay? Yeah, probably, but did she _really_ want to put her reputation at risk over a sexual preference? Could she hide it? Even better, deny it?

Pushing Karin away was probably the best option. It’s the ONLY option.

 

\--

 

Their checkpoint is at Konoha’s gate. Karin taps her foot while waiting for Sasuke and Naruto to arrive while her partner sharpens his sword. She wishes she could at least meet them inside of the village. It would give her a chance to swing by the hospital or Sakura’s apartment, say hello, then be on her way. Life just doesn’t work out like that, she supposes. 

She was _just_ here, though. Would it look weird if she had the opportunity and took it? Probably. Knowing where she stands with Sakura Haruno is her objective over everything. Fuck, anything would suffice.

 

Soon, she spots a blonde man across the horizon accompanied by a taller man in a black cloak. 

“There they are!” She taps Suigetsu on the shoulder while waving her other hand in the air. “Hey, cousin!” 

“Karin! It’s been a while!” Naruto’s smile radiates from across the path. She notes that he’s too friendly for his own good, especially given their history. It feels nice to be on civil terms after the war. 

The two approach Karin and Suigetsu and set their bags down. “Sorry to keep you waiting,” Sasuke sighs, allowing the blonde to wrap an arm around his shoulder. They’re a cute couple in her opinion. She’s honestly kind of jealous.

“Yeah, no kidding. Who are we waiting on now?” Karin chuckles in response. “Time to go.”

“Well… Sakura isn’t here yet.” Naruto interrupts her. “She agreed to come along this morning, sorry if you never got the memo…” 

Time stops. 

She never got the memo. 

She didn’t mentally prepare herself for this. 

“Sakura WHAT?!”

“You never told her, did you?” Sasuke removes himself from his partner’s clutch to interrogate Suigetsu, who awkwardly shrugs at him. “Maybe? Ask in person next time.”

“Told me what?!”

“Hey, everyone. I’m here.” The same voice from her dreams, _from yesterday_ peeps up from behind her.

Her face contorts as she twists around to find the woman who consumes her every thought- Sakura Haruno. “H-H-Heeeee-”

“Hey Sakura!” Naruto fist-bumps the pink-haired girl before Karin can finish her sentence.

“So, we’re heading to Sunagakure?” Sakura leads next to Naruto, completely ignorant of Karin’s presence.

“...Hey.” Karin half-heartedly mutters. The other glances behind her before turning her hear back around, leading the way out of Konoha with Naruto and Sasuke by her side.

It was a stinging pain in her chest.

_Why are you ignoring me? Did I do something wrong?_

_No, she’s just busy. That’s it, Karin. Keep your cool._

_Focus on your mission, idiot._

_You got this._

She takes three deep breaths before joining the conversation over Naruto- a hard task to handle. 

Sakura rips open a map. “I want to take a path through the Land of Rain. It’s pretty easy, don’t you think?”

Karin scoffs unintentionally. “The Land of Rain is still under a dictatorship, you might have trouble getting past them.”

“And why so?” Sakura replies. 

“She’s right. Going through their customs would take just as long as going around.” Sasuke snatches the map away and hands it to Naruto. “You take this trip more often than us. You lead the way.”

“Alright! Thanks, Sasuke!” Naruto folds the paper and slides it into Sasuke’s toolkit before sneaking a kiss on his cheek. “We’re off!”


	8. fat chance

“Sasuke, I’m hungry.” Naruto whines over his rumbling stomach.

“We’re approaching a small town a few kilometers south, you brat.” Sasuke teases him with a subtle smirk that Karin can spot from underneath his bangs. “We should check it out.”

The blonde _hmphs._ “I know that, you idiot!”

“Well, what do you want?” 

“I want miso tonkotsu with extra pork. Mmmph, I see it in my dreams.”

Karin chuckles at Naruto’s mildly manipulative ramble with Sasuke. Of course he likes ramen, his name literally translated ‘fish cake’ in many languages. It fits, in her unspoken opinion. She wonders if the soup topping’s demand had risen along with Naruto’s own rising popularity back in Konoha. _Uzumaki Naruto, hero of the Hidden Leaf. The child that defeated Pain, the man who tamed the Nine Tailed Fox, the next Hokage candidate, blah blah blah._ She overheard the endless list of praise during her last stay in the Hidden Leaf. She was proud to be his cousin, to say at the very least. Jealous, even. It’s not like every orphan has the privilege of growing up under the care of top rank shinobi. The village elders probably gave him a bed, food, and an education for free. That’s how anyone should raise a child, right?

“I want a savory pancake.” Karin sighs. She still has food pills stored in her inventory, but REAL food sounds too good to ignore. “Extra seaweed.”

She overhears a gag accompanied by snapping twigs and crumbling leaves. A quick glance leads her to Suigetsu. “Ugh, gross! Why would you eat a spicy _and_ salty pancake? They’re best soggy with butter and sweet syrup. Right, Sakura?”

She glances back to Sakura, who still remains silent and refuses to even _look_ in her direction. That attitude is enough to drive her insane. _It’s just not fair._

“I just… I just hate it.” She blurts out without thinking first like any red, babbling idiot would. _You were all over me the other day. I hate that you’re acting like I don’t exist right now._ She wants to say- no, _scream,_ but no more words come out of her mouth. She has been doing this ever since they left the village.  _Ignoring her._ The frustration was enough to eat her alive.

“...How do you hate maple syrup and butter?” Suigetsu shrugs. “What is your deal?"

"It's  _annoying._ " 

As soon as the four approach the town, Sakura immediately re-positions herself next to Naruto before nudging his arm with her elbow. “I would kill for some shoyu ramen! What would you like to eat, Sasuke?”

“Spicy shiyo with tomato paste.” Sasuke nonchalantly throws his arm around Naruto’s shoulder, who turns his head around to speak to the two shinobi behind him. “What are you eating? It’s on me!”

“That’s awfully considerate of you, cousin.” The raspberry-haired woman replies with an eye roll- where she finally notices Sakura looking back at her from the corner of her eye. The eye contact immediately breaks when _Pinkie_ darts her eyes to the ground. 

_Whatever, Sakura. Two can play at that game._

Really, she appreciated Naruto’s offer. He didn’t deserve her sarcastic reply, either- it’s just that she knew Sakura would react in a way that made her feel unwelcome. It worked, after all.

Karin half- chuckles, gripping her left wrist. Her shoulders hunch as she looks back at Naruto. “I’ll just figure it out. Don’t worry about me.” Karin waves goodbye, dragging sharkboy along. “Uh, I’m gonna book a hotel room over here and then grab some gyoza, I guess.”

“I planned for us to stay here, actually.” Sasuke hands her a card for a local motel. “You should check in before midnight. I'll book the rooms before we eat.”

“Oh… thanks.” She decides she’ll read the card later because Sakura was visibly cringing at the blatant lie Karin just served the trio. Hook, line, and sinker- she knows Karin hates gyoza. Throwing the card in her pocket, she shrugs back at Team Seven. “Guess I’ll see you later.”

“Yeah. If you’ll excuse us _,_ we’re going to find some _enjoyable_ food.” Sakura pulls the two men next to herself closer to leave Suigetsu and Karin to themselves. She isn’t surprised they’re so close- After all, they DID grow up together. She envies that part about their relationships and desperately wishes she could be part of it. Thing is, Sakura doesn’t owe her anything, despite the nights they had. It’s an itch she can’t scratch. _Sakura doesn’t owe you anything._

_Snap._

_Snap._

_Snap._

“Hey, you hear that?” Suigetsu reaches behind his back to grip the handle of his sword. “Who’s there?”

_Sakura doesn’t owe you anything._

“Karin, a little help here? I could really use your Mind’s Eye right now…”

_Sakura doesn’t owe you anything._

“Damnit, Karin! Come on!” A palm slaps her shoulder, snapping her out of the anxiety-driven trance. She jumps and reflexively grabs a kunai from her gear kit to toss it at the nearest rumbling bush. Suigetsu draws his sword and slowly makes his way into the forest to investigate with Karin a few steps behind him.

“Shhhhh.” He puts his index finger to his lip before he grabs a branch. She remains silent as he slowly pulls it back to finally reveal their culprit.

A rabbit. 

They got paranoid over a rabbit. A dead rabbit, at that.

“Fuck! I-I’m sorry…”

“...Okay. what’s gotten into you?” The platinum individual approaches her. “We’re on a mission. Get it together, man! You can’t yourself or your team if you’re distracted.”

“...You’re not wrong,” She replies, letting out a sigh. “You’re preaching to the choir.”

 

The town streets are covered in lamps, fairy lights and fishing games. Karin can’t think of any holiday to justify a festival, though. Maybe it was just a local tradition? This kind of thing is still new to her, and she really wishes Sakura were by her side rather than Suigetsu if that were the case. At least she would engage in the fun activities in this scenario, unlike Idiot Number One and Idiot Number Two. From the corner of her eye, she notices the trio- _The glorious team seven_ underneath the curtains of a local soup stand. In an attempt to not bother the cherry blossom, she declines Suigetsu’s suggestion to join them. She just can’t right now, not with Naruto acting far too friendly and Sakura acting so stand offish. It all was too much for her to deal with right now.

Her and Suigetsu eventually settle on a stand that happens to sell both jello _and_ pancakes. A bit pricey for her liking, but she knows Konoha will reimburse her for the food as long as she keeps proof of her purchase. Why not ball out? After all, she _is_ working for a financially secure village. 

Suigetsu’s eyes gleam before he digs into his dessert for dinner. “Ugh, this is so good. Why don’t we have this in the Hidden Sound?”

“Uh, poverty, I guess?” Karin talks with her mouth full in a nonchalant manner. “Since when did Orochimaru care about economics more than science?”

“True that.” He lays back after having his fill. “That guy is far from poor, though. We could use a nice restaurant or two.”

“You’re not wrong. I’d kill for one back at the hideout.” She shrugs, pulling the card out of her pocket. The hotel was south of the village, only a half mile or so away from their current location. “It’s getting late. Wanna head to the hotel after this?”

“Good idea,” He replies with his mouth full. _Ew._ “Lead the way, boss.”

 

The two make it back to their designated hotel after their meal. Room 420, top floor. After reaching her room, she kicks off her shoes and flops on her bed.

Today was a long day. 

The room had two beds, one bathroom, and was decorated with nothing. No paintings, no contemporary furniture, just two beds and white sheets. 

There was a red backpack adorned with an o-shaped patch, similar to the clan symbol Sakura wore on her back next to the door.

_Of course. Of course they put Sakura in my room._

Where could she be, though? Naruto and Sasuke were already sleeping, so she knows Sakura wouldn’t be with them. Maybe she went out? 

Maybe she met someone else.

Hm.

Sleep doesn’t come easy. In fact, it never does. The redhead is extremely restless, despite the day she’s had. Maybe a quick walk around town could help her calm down, but where would she go? It’s far too dangerous to walk around this town alone, too. A quick walk around the hotel might tire her out, then. She settles on that idea before grabbing a sweater and her sandals, careful to not wake anyone up. She makes her way to the stairs and chooses to walk upwards. There’s a door at the top of the staircase, but no hallway behind it. The door is propped open by a familiar pair of black sandals. 

_Guess I found you, Sakura. I never thought of you as a rooftop dweller._

Cracking the door open, she sees her- illuminated by the moonlight from the top of her salmon-colored head. She pauses for a second in contemplation of Sakura’s reaction to her coming up here. _It was a coincidence, I swear._

At that point, she makes the decision to sit down next to her.

_Please talk to me._

She doesn’t. In fact, Sakura continues to hum the same melody that she was humming before Karin had even arrived. 

_Very slick, Sakura._

_Whatever. I’ll make you talk, that’s for damn sure._

“Why are you being so mean to me?” Karin mumbles, resting her legs over the rooftop. “What happened, Sakura? You’ve been treating me like I don’t exist all day.”

No reply, of course. Good thing this is only the beginning of her interrogation.

“Look, If I did something wrong, you can tell me. Throw me a bone here!”

“Nothing.” Sakura’s voice cracks along with a poorly hidden sob. “You did nothing. Please, just leave me alone.”

The redhead chuckles through a disappointed nod. “Why should I leave you alone?” She refuses to leave, not without answers. The only question is _how to find them?_ She could change the subject. Maybe talk about food? Ask about her last day at work? It wouldn’t work, though. Sakura is way too stubborn to fall for that. She does have one idea, though. It was dangerous, and it could either make or break whatever they’ve built in the last few days. Swallowing her pride and bracing herself for whatever comes next, she leans in closer to Sakura, catching whiffs of her shampoo through the wind.

“I think I’m in love with you, Sakura.” Her eyes don’t break away from Sakura’s face, who still refuses to even look back at her. “I loved every minute of whatever we had, before… _this_. I know you felt it, too.”

Green eyes finally gaze back to her. They’re tired, puffy, and wet. “You have no reason to love me. I’m nothing but trouble.” 

Karin takes the initiative to wipe a tear off her cheek. She’s pretty sure this is the first time she had seen Sakura cry since the incident with Sasuke at Samurai Bridge. “I’ve never met someone like you. Someone so caring and empathetic, completely dedicated to her job and friends. Someone so strong- physically, and in spirit.”

“Stop that.” Sakura shakes her head to shed a couple more tears onto her lap. “I told you, You have no reason to be involved with someone like me. I-”

“I loved the way your face lit up when you ate my food. I loved drinking with you. I love talking to you, I’ve never told _anyone_ the things I’ve told you. I love your village, your apartment, you made me love the color pink for fucks sake, I love _everything about you._ ” Pulling her hand away from Sakura’s cheek, she scoffs through a smile. “I’ve never felt like this before, Sakura. Nobody has ever turned everything I hated into everything I loved.”

The other is silent. This wasn’t going well, but it wasn’t going badly. She better wrap this up before it gets messy, the confession was already getting lengthy, after all.

“I don’t know what happened or why you’ve been so distant today. I don’t like it at all.” When the tears start to shed, she looks away to gaze at the stars, changing her position to relax on her elbows. “That being said, we’re on a mission. Please stop ignoring me, for mine and our team’s sake. After that… you can go back to pretending I don’t exist. I’m not entitled to your attention, after all.”

 

Sakura isn’t sure whether her goosebumps were a result of the wind or Karin’s confession. The fact that she had confessed in the first place was enough for her to believe she was having a stroke, she _really_ wasn’t expecting that after today, of all times. Now she’s left feeling like a jerk for ignoring Karin all day in an awful attempt to push her away. Seriously, that girl is insistent

The thing is, Karin didn’t know about her last interaction with Ino, Sai, and Tsunade. Karin didn’t know about her uncle’s strained relationship with her family after coming out. Gay marriage was still illegal and stigmatized in Konoha, so dragging Karin into that mess was _not_ on her to-do list. Karin definitely didn’t deserve her baggage.

Still…

It would be a lie if she said those feelings weren’t returned. She loved sharing meals and drinks with Karin. She loved showing her around her village. She loved the fact that the redhead was so open about her life with her, and the fact that Karin only shared those stories with her. She just… didn’t love everyone else’s reaction to it. Going against the social norm wasn’t exactly her favorite thing to do, either. So, she’s left with two choices: 1) Accept her feelings or 2) Run away from them.

Both choices had serious consequences. The first choice could cost her job and reputation. The second could destroy everything she built with Karin. Maybe there was a way around this, a way to delay that decision. She has to, no way will she commit to one choice right now. If she plays her cards right, maybe she won’t even have to choose. She could just exist in a world where she doesn’t have to dump Karin or her career. The only question is how to execute that idea.

She takes a deep breath, counts to ten, then exhales before leaning on her back to stargaze. 

“I’m sorry, Karin.” She begins, still not exactly sure of how to approach this conversation. “I know that I wasn’t being fair by ignoring you. You deserve better than that. There’s just… a lot going on right now, and I don’t know how to deal with it.”

“You’re damn right I didn’t deserve that.” The girl on her right giggles, still staring at the sky. “I just wanted to know why. That’s all.”

“Something happened back home. I didn’t want you to get hurt, but I hurt you in an effort to avoid that.” Resting her hands on her stomach, she turns her head over to face the redhead. “I screwed up big time, didn’t I?”

“It’s okay, Sakura. We all have our shit. Some shit just stinks different.” Karin rolls over to face her. This time, she was the one who had been crying. “I can wait for you to figure out whatever is going on with you, though. Whether you want me to or not.”

“You deserve to find someone that you don’t have to wait for, you red idiot.” Sakura reaches over to swipe her thumb underneath Karin’s baggy eyes, a favor from earlier returned. “What will you do if someone else comes along?”

“Are you kidding me? I already told you.” The redhead’s right hand brushes against Sakura’s wrist, making its way over to her hand. “I’ve never met anyone like you. You really think I could drop you that easily?”

Their fingers knit together and relax against the rooftop cement. Sakura kicks her legs over the ledge, accidentally kicking Karin’s ankle in the process.

“Karin… I don’t know what I want. I want you, but I need stability. I can’t have both, I can’t just-”

“You don’t need to explain yourself.” Karin leans in closer to her, letting go of her hand to brush her fingers between strands of short, pink hair. “I told you that I can wait, you pink idiot.”

Without thinking, she leans in to collide her lips with the redhead’s. Before she can pull away, Karin plants her hand onto Sakura’s cheek, pulling the cherry blossom towards herself for more. Kicking her legs back over to plant her knees on the rooftop, she positions herself on top of Karin to trap her abdomen between her legs. She hungrily makes her way down Karin’s neck, who lets out a quiet moan in return as she licks up from her collarbone to her right jaw. When she lifts her head to face the other girl, she doesn’t recognize her facial expression. It was lewd, to say the least. Lewd, erotic, and damn beautiful.

Unfortunately, she had to control herself. She made a decision and needed to stick to it. It was only pure luck that Karin had understood her dilemma, after all. Sleeping with the girl without establishing a relationship might not play out well after that confession.

“You promise to wait for me?” The pink-haired girl loosens her grip on Karin’s wrists before sitting up on her lap. It was a dangerous position to be in, considering the fact that they were on top of a roof. Maybe she got a little carried away. “I think I can make this… _us_ work, but I need time. There’s just… a lot that I need to tell you. I don’t know if i’m ready to, either.”

Resting her weight on her elbows, the redhead laughs. “You’re really something else, Sakura.”

Sakura stands up, offering a hand to Karin away from the ledge. “I’m sorry for kissing you just now. I just…I don’t know what got into me.”

Karin kicks her feet back over the ledge and takes Sakura’s hand. “No rush, pinky.”

When she pulls the girl up, the wind gusts between them. “I… I think I love you too. You deserve that much.” 

“I know, Sakura.” The other chuckles, shivering in her sweater. “It’s uh, it’s cold as shit out here, though. Can we go inside?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thank you to the subscribers that waited on this chapter. i've been lacking.


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